Once a powerhouse in the Pacific Division, the San Jose Sharks have become bottom feeders in recent seasons. What’s in store for the 22/23 season?
2021-2022 Season Performance
Regular Season
The Sharks got off to a strong start in a weak Pacific Division, but faded off the playoff pace by about the 20 game mark. They were below average both offensively and defensively at 5v5 and poor finishing resulted in the lowest 5v5 GF/60 in the NHL. Their goaltending was decent, as a variety of Sharks netminders held the fort reasonably near break even with expected goals against.
Looking Ahead to 2022-2023
Offseason Moves
The Sharks became very top heavy with respect to the salary cap in recent years. With age beginning to show it’s ugly head for a number of core players, San Jose decided to unload one of their big contracts as they look to work their way back into contention. Brent Burns and 66% of his $8M salary was shipped off to Carolina with a package of players and picks coming back the other way. Steven Lorentz headlined the group, although his projection suggests only a replacement level impact next season.
The Sharks didn’t bring in any big names via free agency, but they did add a few capable NHLers to fill out their roster. The most intriguing addition is Oskar Lindblom, who the Sharks signed following a buyout by the Flyers. Lindblom has yet to play a full 82 games in a season but he’s been effective when he’s had the opportunity. The model projects his impact next season as a second line forward who provides a strong offensive presence.
According to CapFriendly, the Sharks are essentially at the cap with a 23 player roster.
22/23 Roster
The Sharks roster profile suggests a result similar to last season is in the offing for the 22/23 campaign. Their forward and defense groups both are below average impact, leading to below average offense and defense. Goaltending looks like it could be a strength, with Kaapo Kahkonen and James Reimer combining as a decent tandem.
Pacific Division Landscape
The Pacific was a weaker division last season and that still appears to be the case heading into 22/23. The Sharks don’t look likely to capitalize on the opportunity, however, as there are still a few strong teams at the top. Most likely, the Sharks appear set to battle with the other re-building California teams at the bottom of the division.
Long Term Outlook
Offloading Brent Burns and his contract was a start for the Sharks to change their current trajectory, but they are still burdened with a number of long, large cap hit deals. Their core is past it’s prime yet is still under contract for multiple seasons and the Sharks will have to make some difficult decisions to turn things around.
Want to check out more projections for the 22/23 season? Sign up for an annual membership to get access to all 22/23 team and player projection plots and peruse the full set of free agent player cards. Plots will be updated through the offseason as the 22/23 rosters take shape and updated to track progress through the season.
Historical player data from Natural Stat Trick. Contract data from CapFriendly.
